CIS FOOTPRINT
CIS FOOTPRINT
CIS FOOTPRINT
CIS FOOTPRINT
By collecting hard data from our comprehensive sustainability audit, Footprint aims to educate and harvest the spirit of sustainability within the CIS community.
From footprint to blueprint, we are committed to promote tangible reforms and develop sustainable, active, permanent change towards Vision ‘33.
CIS FOOTPRINT LAUNCH - SEP 2019
On the evening of 24th of September, the CIS Footprint officially launched, marking the beginning of a revolutionary mission to sustainability. The event allowed the school community to gain insight into our plans for the future, including data collection and impacting school policies with hard data. Several members of the DITO community spoke at the event, talking about topics that were close to their interests and concerns, such as fast fashion, veganism and ocean acidification. Those who attended were also given the opportunity to raise questions and give suggestions for the project. If you have any suggestions or concerns, feel free to leave us a comment in the suggestion box
INTERVIEWING OUR COMMUNITY - SEP 2019
Overall, the results from interviewing various people around the school showed enthusiasm about this completely student-led initiative. Many people know and agree with the sustainability mission, but may not always be aware of the school’s impact. With the Footprint audit, sustainability should be something the school is proud to talk about. By expanding on small changes people make in their daily lives and spreading more awareness, members of the school community believe that it will bring about a more dramatic change, with sustainability being incorporated into the school values on a larger scale, just as respect, kindness, and hard work are. Furthermore, habits incorporated into students’ school lives can also be brought home and relieve the cultural stigma some parents may have about sustainable living - you must push the boundaries, take a risk, and find a balance between convenience and sustainability.
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ENERGY USAGE - NOV 2019
As a part of the audit process, we conducted a utility analysis to understand CIS’s consumption of water, gas, and electricity, finding the most intensive areas, and making changes to reduce it. Other than this, the team has also been researching about Hong Kong’s environmental footprint. Did you know that in nine months alone, Hong Kong has used double the amount of electricity used in 2016?
As students of CIS, we should collectively do our best to reduce excess water, gas and electrical use. Start with small things, like turning the lights off when you leave a classroom, only using the air conditioner if absolutely necessary, taking shorter showers and actively using the smaller flush button on the toilets - anything can make a difference!
Our school has been actively taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. In terms of the real, sustainable, and permanent changes we are hoping to make, CIS has actually been changing the classroom lights from fluorescents to LEDs. In order to go further, we could propose the idea of installing solar panels to the roofs, or the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy!
FOOD WASTE - NOV 2019
Our entire school community’s food choices can drastically impact our environment. Did you know that the agricultural industry for feeding animals not only makes up 1/3 of the world’s carbon emissions but also contributes largely to our water pollution crisis? Some produce like beef, lamb and cheese have the largest carbon footprint whereas plants typically have the smallest footprint. Therefore, choosing a vegetarian meal over a meat-heavy meal is already a step forward towards a better environment!
Check out some of our infographics below:
Tips to Reduce Your Food Waste!
Food Packaging Waste
Apart from the food we choose to eat, we should also be conscious of the packaging that our food comes in, as well as how to properly dispose them to prevent contaminating recycling bins.
Check out how you can make more sustainable choices when purchasing food at CIS:
TRAVEL AND TRAFFIC - MAR 2020
Travel in CIS is one of our largest contributors to carbon emissions. Per person, travelling by bus emits 37.5g of CO2 per Km, while travelling by private car emits 100g if travelling in a car with 4 passengers (which most of us don't). According to our school-wide survey, a whopping 34% of students use non-electric private cars on the daily, causing irreversible damage to our environment. Given the aforementioned conclusion, try to take the school bus or public bus to and from school to lighten your CO2 footprint!
Carbon Footprint of Transport
Commuting to CIS
Hangzhou Travel
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VISION '33 WORKSHOP - JUN 2020
On June 3rd 2020, DITO students attended a workshop held by Metanoia and CIS Footprint to envision our sustainable future for CIS by 2033, the school's 50th anniversary. The day started off with a series of student presentations discussing key findings from each of the 9 modules in the sustainability audit. Fresh with newfound knowledge about the school's footprint, students were split into small focus groups to craft their vision from the lens of their module in the afternoon. This started off with individually writing Letters from the Future, from the perspective of themselves revisiting a much more sustainable CIS campus 13 years from now. Participants shared their ideas and letters with each other, which culminated into Time magazine posters depicting CIS at the forefront of sustainable schools in 2033. The event allowed participants to learn about various aspects of the school's impact and discover their dreams for a more sustainable future.
What is your vision for CIS in 2033? Leave us a suggestion in the contact box!
BOARD PRESENTATION - JUN 2020
On June 10th 2020, a week after the Vision '33 workshop, 17 CIS Footprint students once again presented about our findings from the sustainability audit to the Board of Governors, followed by a Q&A session. The presentation was a success and the Chairman, speaking on behalf of the Board, said that they would join us in taking action on our findings.
SORTING RECOMMENDATIONS - SEP 2020
To start the year off, all DITO students attended a workshop to sort and prioritise recommendations from our newly launched sustainability audit report. Students worked with Metanoia to develop actionable steps to turn these recommendations into realities, setting the stage for our mission to make CIS a more sustainable school.
Check out the recap video to see us in action!
LAUNCHING THE AUDIT REPORT - OCT 2020
Thank you to the members of the CIS community who attended the Community Forum celebrating the launch of our audit report! It was extremely exciting to share our findings and hear the wonderful insights from other members of the community.
During the Forum, leaders of DITO introduced the sustainability audit and discussed the data collection process last academic year. It was eye-opening to learn about the school’s carbon impact and the key recommendations for how to improve. We express our sincere gratitude towards the whole community, as well as outside organisations such as Metanoia, without whom this would not have been possible.
If you are wondering what our school’s biggest impact areas are, please check out the Community Forum recap video below to see the highlights. We hope to see you make a difference alongside us!
HKEP SUSTAINABILITY STRAND - MAY 2021
During this year's Hong Kong Experience Program, Year 10 and 11 students had the opportunity to dive deeper into sustainability in our school and in the greater community. Students worked with Metanoia to not only investigate the science behind solar panels, but also how to implement them into our campus. After observing solar panels installed at another international school in Hong Kong, students collaboratively developed practical proposals for designing and installing solar panels on CIS’ rooftop. This is a huge step forward to further sustainability in the school community based on the recommendations from the CIS Sustainability Audit!
Three Year 11 DITO students were featured in an interview with the Head of School. Watch the video below to learn more about their experiences discovering the power of solar energy during HKEP and its future impacts!
UN WORLD OCEANS DAY - JUNE 2021
On the evening of June 8th, UN World Oceans Day, DITO partnered with KidsforSDGs and Ocean Uprise, a branch of the international organisation Parley For the Oceans to co-host the KIDsforSDGs x Ocean Uprise UN World Oceans Day event. The UN World Oceans Day was established to raise awareness and educate the public on SDG goal 14, which describes sustainable usage and conservation of the ocean’s resources.
The event featured talks from leaders of influential organizations such as Dana Winograd from Plastic Free Seas, Jennifer Wang from EcoDrive, and Kamakshi Bhavnani from Youth Ocean Alliance. DITO representative Alexander Zhang also presented DITO’s ethos of systemic change through showcasing CIS' student-driven passion projects as well as a blueprint for DITO’s future plans to inspire change in the Hong Kong community.
SECOND HAND UNIFORM SALE - OCT 2021
After returning from Mid Term break, DITO held a second-hand uniform drive and sale.
The sale was successful, as we managed to raise around $10,000, which will be donated to a charity.
Over the 2021-2022 year, we will host 2 more uniform sales. This is great way to sustainably purchase and dispose of textile waste, which is a leading problem in CIS. We whole heartedly encourage the wider CIS community to participate next time!
